For those of you who have never ridden a train, take it from someone who used them as her primary mode of getting home for the weekend all through college: Trains are awesome. They are just plain awesome. And the best part of trains? They are the perfect place to get work done. There's no WiFi to distract you (and if there is, it's so unreliable that it doesn't really count), there are plenty of outlets for everyone, you can move to the dining car if you need to spread out, and they probably stock whatever beverage you like to drink while working (though, admittedly, it will be overpriced). But even beyond all of this, trains offer a kind of intermediary place, somewhere away from your real life, where it becomes much easier to concentrate.

So far, Amtrak isn't sure how they'll set it up, whether or not it will remain free, which rail lines will be eligible for residencies, or how the application process will work. But the bottom line is that Amtrak residencies will almost certainly be a thing. And judging by the amount of interest the program is generating already, they will be competitive.